Archaeology by Experiment

by John M. Coles

Book Overview

Experimental archaeology is a new approach to the study of early man. By reconstructing and testing models of ancient equipment with the techniques available to early man, we learn how he lived,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684138182
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons
• Length: 182 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Science by reconstruction and re-experimentation

The major point that came out of this wave of archaeological science is that people in the new stone age were more sophisticated technologically than had been appreciated in the past. We found that just by tying dug out canoes together people far further back in time could make ocean crossings. The colonization of Australia was pushed back further into pre-history, when books in the 60's set it a 10000 years ago. I think maybe the thing that stands out is the snail like pace of progress, between 20000 years ago and now. It appears that in some ways social structures / civilizations have restricted innovation instead of encouraging it? This book and the science that has followed it has been "enlightening" to all of pre-history.